George Washington University is creating a special task force to address complaints of digital inaccessibility. Their concern was prompted by a federal investigation headed by the Department of Education into possible disability discrimination. According to the story by GW’s independent student newspaper, The Hatchet, the university previously tried solving the problem using accessibility software but students with disabilities reported the services were still inadequate. Click hereto read the full report and learn more about GW’s efforts to improve digital accessibility.

Danielle was almost 7 years old when detectives removed her from a filthy house in Plant City, Florida. She was so malnourished and neglected that doctors predicted she would be disabled for the rest of her life. The Tampa Bay Times’s Lane DeGregory won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for her profile of Dani and her adoptive family. Yesterday, Nov 29, DeGregoy published a fascinating update about Dani’s condition. Check out DeGregory’s latest report by clicking HERE, and to read the original award-winning story click HERE.

E-readers, as opposed to traditional books, have the ability to manipulate text on any given page, including limiting only a few words to shorter lines. Researchers at the Smithsonian found that in the case of the latter, people with dyslexia were able to read more quickly and with greater comprehension. Read more.

The quadratic equation may have instilled horror in many of us. But for some five to seven percent of the population even basic math—like the concept of the numbers five and seven—causes anxiety. You may never have heard of the disorder called dyscalculia, yet it’s as common as dyslexia, according to research in the journal Science.

When someone hears that a child has a disability they may think of down syndrome or being physically disabled. But imagine having a disability that no one can see and others thinking you’re just plain difficult.

GOOD INTENTIONS have gone awry in the federal program that gives cash benefits to families of disabled children, and a comprehensive assessment of the program’s weaknesses is the first step toward fixing it. Given the strong possibility that children are being misclassified as disabled to make their families eligible for checks of up to $700 a month, Congress should happily pay the $10 million or so needed to fund a study of the program by the well-regarded Institute of Medicine. And then it should quickly implement any changes based on the institute’s findings before more children are misclassified.

The number of children with developmental disabilities has increased by 17% in 12 years, driven largely by big jumps in diagnoses for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, research shows.

About NCDJ

People with disabilities make up at least 19 percent of the U.S. population or 54.4 million people. The goal of the NCDJ is to provide support and guidance for journalists as they cover people with disabilities.

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Disability Reporting Contest

More than 150 journalists from around the world entered the 2018 Ruderman Awards for Excellence in Disability Reporting. The NCDJ received entries from the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Philippines, Zambia, Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria, Spain, and Ghana.

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Author Amy Silverman talks about her book, "My Heart Can't Even Believe It: A Story of Science, Love and Down Syndrome", as well as reporting on disability, and media representation.